Late slip leaves more questions than answers

Easter Monday at Blackpool left more questions than answers for Hartlepool United.

Playing against ten men for an hour, Pool went in front but were unable to hang on as they conceded an 83rd minute equaliser.

Neale Cooper insisted he has yet to hear from Dundee United over a possible return to Scotland, but again refused to dampen the speculation.

"I have not heard anything at all, I keep saying it's nice to be linked with these things - but that's as far as it goes at this point in time,'' he insisted.

Whether he will be around for Saturday's home game with Swindon remains to be seen. Dundee United need to act quickly if they are to stave off relegation from the SPL.

Despite the home defeat to Huddersfield on Good Friday, Pool remain in the play-off zone as other results went their way yesterday. None of their play-off rivals managed to win.

Pool have now won only three times in their last ten games, yet they stay in fifth position.

"We have come off feeling a little disappointed about the result after being in the lead for so long,'' admitted Cooper. "We have conceded a late goal and seen their keeper pull off some wonderful saves.

"Their keeper got the man of the match award and I think he deserved it. We were a bit disappointed with the manner of the equaliser, but the lads have said he was played onside.

"We started badly, going a goal down, and then turned it around to go in front against ten men, so there is some disappointment in only getting a point.''

Last season's game at Bloomfield Road was the low point in the best season in the Pool's history. A 4-0 thumping and the worst display of the campaign in October 2003 hadn't been forgotten by Cooper.

Yesterday, the Pool fans were still heading from the Pleasure Beach to the ground when their side was a goal down, but enjoyment it wasn't.

Keigan Parker latched onto a long ball into the area, nipping in between Micky Nelson and Hugh Robertson. Jim Provett went to ground to try and win the ball, but referee Scott Mathieson was waiting for the keeper to come and, without hesitation, pointed to the spot.

Keith Southern smashed the spot-kick high to Provett's right.

"A bit of deja vu about that,'' said Cooper. Some 1,100 visiting fans were thinking exactly the same.

Pool just didn't get started, Ben Clark - in for Mark Tinkler - was digging for scraps in central midfield, but too often it came to nothing. Possession was loose.

Their first opening came when Tony Sweeney read Adam Boyd's flick into the penalty area and only a late, saving block tackle by right back Mark McGregor stopped the midfielder from netting his 14th of the season.

Pool were starting to edge their way in control, but the game exploded dramatically in Pool's favour just before the half-hour mark.

Mark McGregor had already been booked for a firm tackle on Joel Porter before he lunged into Matty Robson as the winger flew past the right back.

And, just like he did with the penalty decision, referee Mathieson was waiting to blow.

Before the home side had the chance to reorganise, Pool had levelled the scores.

Hugh Robertson's free-kick was played back into the six-yard box by Humphreys and Boyd was on hand to push home his 22nd goal of the season.

The celebrations had barely died down when Pool took the lead. Another set-piece from the left, this time Robertson's corner, was headed goalwards by Chris Westwood from the edge of the penalty area and Boyd, ever the predator, touched it over the line from a similar distance he had seconds earlier.

After a tepid opening, Pool had turned it around, but it didn't take long for the game to return to its previous standing.

Colin Hendry switched winger Jamie Burns to right back and Boyd was sensing he was about to have a field day running with the ball at his feet.

Pool went with a tight three-man midfield, Clark dropping deep in front of the back four, to keep their lead intact.

There was a scare when Nelson deflected a cross with his arm towards goal. Mathieson didn't spot the offence and Provett was alert enough to claw it out.

Five minutes after the restart and Pool could have been pegged back. Peter Clarke met a right wing corner and he planted his free header wide from six yards.

Boyd passed up the chance to complete hat-trick when he dinked the ball into Sweeney's path inside the area. It proved one pass too many as Sweeney's second touch was blocked by Clarke.

Clarke was the busiest man on the pitch and he was lucky to stay on the field when he bundled over Porter eight yards out.

The last defender, however, got away with it as Mathieson waved play on to Porter's disgust.

Provett was largely untroubled, but Pool were letting themselves down with slack passing. They weren't making the most of possession as control and understanding was proving their downfall.

And, for the third time in 25 minutes, Clarke steered a header over Provett's bar from close range.

Pool couldn't break down the ten men of Huddersfield on Good Friday, after Tom Clarke was red carded and they failed to make the most of playing against weakened opposition again.

Instead of pushing wingers wide to the touchline to stretch the ten men, Pool's narrow midfield didn't make the most of their numerical advantage.

Robson had proved in the first-half that he could cause problems on the left, but they didn't use him anywhere near enough.

Robertson tried his luck with a stinging free-kick from way out on the right touchline and keeper Lee Jones went full stretch to tip it over the bar.

After warming himself up with that one, he hit an even better one seconds later. Central and 20 yards from goal, his dead ball beat the wall and was heading for the top corner until Jones flung himself across goal to paw it away.

The save proved vital.

As the ball was returned to the area, Clarke was left alone and he turned the ball past Provett from close range, with the Pool defence and keeper appealing tamely and unsuccessfully for offside.

Pool were left disappointed after the equaliser, but at least it was a much better outcome than the misery of last season's trip to Bloomfield Road.

Result: Blackpool 2 Hartlepool United 2.

Read more about Hartlepool here.